The Lantern hosted a debate in the fall semester surrounding two issues on the November ballot. After struggling to find people to participate, Christian Harsa wants to remind people of the importance of civil discourse and sharing one’s opinion. Graphic credit: Josie Stewart

 

This piece is the perspective of Christian Harsa, a senior reporter for The Lantern. Harsa is a fourth-year in communication and psychology who planned two debates for The Lantern in past semesters.

 

It is said that democracy dies in darkness. I disagree — it dies in silence. 

While planning The Lantern’s debate last fall, I struggled with a challenge we failed to foresee: recruiting impassioned university students to speak in favor of abortion. 

In a city that would go on to vote 3-to-1 in favor of Issue 1, fielding pro-abortion rights speakers for a panel at a university of 60,000 seemed simple. 

Oh, how wrong we were. 

This search was a preliminary step for an event discussing Ohio Issues 1 and 2 appearing on the November 2023 ballot. The event was the second iteration of an initiative I spearheaded at The Lantern to facilitate thoughtful and cordial conversations between students to reveal nuances hardly accentuated on loftier stages. 

Yet the dozens of emails, phone calls, texts and direct messages yielded little interest. Even the leadership of student advocacy organizations dedicated to the issue declined, or outright ignored, the invitation to speak in favor of the very principles their organizations are built upon. 

Thankfully, our frantic monthslong marathon search was resolved in the final 48 hours, awarding full panels for both Issues 1 and 2. However, the unexpected difficulty left me frustrated and curious. Why, in an internet age where comment sections are filled by everyone and anyone’s opinion, are so few willing to speak publicly on an issue they clearly believe in? 

My experience speaks to a larger trend of conflict avoidance and discomfort. In fact, a 2021 survey found 74% of respondents said they are fearful of speaking openly about political and social issues. Perhaps three-fourths of us derived the wrong message from the advice to “talk less, smile more” in “Hamilton.”

In social communication research, this compounded fear is called the “spiral of silence.” First coined in 1974 by Elizabeth Noelle-Neumann, it explains “the guiding mechanism leading [to] opinion expression in public is the irrational feeling of being isolated.” Put another way, the spiral of silence is why you don’t pipe up when your uncle makes insensitive jokes at the Thanksgiving dinner table. 

With a political climate growing ever more polarized, staying quiet feels safe: keep your head down or risk the wrath of opposition, exile and regret. All valid concerns. If only there was an independent student group that organizes moderated events to assuage these fears with rational, evidence-based debates.

Oh wait…there is. 

Enshrined at the top of the Bill of Rights is the First Amendment, protecting the right to free speech and this very newspaper. Using this right to its fullest is a necessity in a stable and successful democracy. Speech has ended wars, inspired generations and spirited revolutions. If you care, be heard.  

However, for as important as talking is, listening is more so. Seek out opinions you disagree with and listen. I find this reveals citizens intending for good just as passionately as yourself. Yes, their counterpoints will likely discomfort you but also may sway you. And, even if they don’t, and you are certain you are “right,” you walk away better understanding how they are “wrong.”

Absent-mindedly retweeting or temporarily sharing Instagram stories is not enough. Your ballot each election day is the most important instrument of democracy. Even so, dialogue and civic engagement inform that choice year-round. Take action, march in a protest, speak at a debate — they’re called political movements for a reason.

If you want to start these tough conversations yourself, here are some tips from the 26% who were not fearful. 

  • Make it safe. Convey mutual respect for others and opinions.
  • Be curious. Try to understand other worldviews and ask questions.
  • Start with facts, not judgment or opinions. Keep it constructive.
  • Be skeptical of your own opinion. Be humble and allow new insight to emerge.
  • Own the right to your opinion. Don’t rely on pundits, politicians or friends to determine your beliefs, let them be  unique to you. 

Do not let democracy crumble under a cacophony of silence. Share your thoughts out loud at dinner, at an event, or, better yet, in a Lantern opinion piece. Even if it is to tell me I am wrong, I am happy to listen.